Card printing device



Aug 2, 1950 H. w. BRAzr-:AL 2,947,245

CARD PRINTING DEVICE Filed July 15, 1957 (wml 10 f4 -3 20 HZ/Wigan' .f7

United States PatentOce CARD PRINTING DEVICE Herbert W. Brazeal, 1300 Lucille Ave., Los Angeles 26, Calif.

Filed July 15, 1957, Ser. No. 671,794

Claims. (Cl. 101-114) My present invention relates to apparatus for printing and stenciling cards, and it relates particularly to a novel device for stenciling and printing cards which is fully automatic in operation, yet which is simple and compact in construction, positive in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Most present apparatus for stenciling or printing cards is relatively expensive, and also relatively complicated, particularly such card printing or stenciling apparatus which is automatic in operation. Because of the expense and complicated nature of such present card printing or stenciling devices, most such devices which -are used either by individuals or by small groups, such as church groups, or even by small businesses, are manually operated, and even these are relatively expensive and difiicult to handle.

In view of these and other problems in the art, it is an object of my present invention to provide apparatus for printing or stenciling cards which is fully automatic in operation, and yet which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, and which is easily operable, even without previous experience with similar devices.

Another object of my present invention is to provide card printing or stenciling apparatus which utilizes a unique belt drive actuating mechanism for actuating the 'Marions movable parts of the 4device in the proper sequence.

Other objects and advantages of my present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, the novelty of my invention consisting in the features of construction, the combinations of parts, the novel relations of the members and the relative proportioning, disposition and operation thereof, all as is more completely `described herein and as is more particularly pointed out in the `appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of my present specification:

Figure l is a vertical section taken along the line 1--1 in Figure 2 illustrating the presently preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken along the line 2-2 in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a schematic vertical section taken along the line 3 3 in Figure 2 illustrating an alternative embodiment of my invention in which a movable printing plate or inked stencil pad is a further feature of the invention.

Referring to my drawings, I provide a housing 10 which is preferably composed of plastic, but which may be made of any other suitable material, the housing 10 including a bottom wall 12, a top wall 14 and suitable end closures 15 and 16.

I provide a removable rear wall 17 which, when removed, provides access to a small electric motor 18 and one or more dry `cell batteries 20 that are operatively connected to the motor 18 through a conventional actuating switch 22 which may be selectively moved to turn the motor 18 on and off.

, I prefer to'separate the motor 18 and dry cells `20 from the actuating mechanism of my present invention by means of a vertical partition 24.

A drive roller 26 rotates about a substantially horizontal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the partition 24, the drive roller 26 being mounted on a drive shaft 28 that is operatively connected to the motor 18, either directly or through suitable gears (not shown).

An idler roller30 is rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 32 that is parallel to and spaced horizontally from lthe drive shaft 28,. Thus, idler roller 30and drive roller 26 are' substantially aligned. A flexible belt 34 is operatively mounted over the idler roller 30 and drive roller 26, whereby rotation of drive roller 26 in response to operation of motor 18 will cause longitudinal movement of the lexible belt 34.

I provide a removable front plate 36, which may be fastened -to the housing 10 in any desired manner, such a substantially rigid table 38 which is preferably rectangularin shape. A slot 40 is provided at the trailing edge 41 of table 38, and a similar slot 42 is provided at the leading edge 43 of table 38.

Longitudinally aligned with the table 38, and across the slot 42 from table 38, is a rectangular card supply bin 44, the bottom 46 of which is in substantially the same plane as the table 38. A longitudinal slot 48 is pro vided in the bottom 46 of bin 44 along which an injector 50is slideably mounted. A pair of spaced upper injector legs 52 slide along the rupper surface of supply bin bottom member 46, these injector legs 52 being either substantially the same or slightly less in thickness than the cards which are to be printed or stenciled. The cards are merely stacked in the bin 44 on top of the bottom member 46 of bin 44, and movement to the left from its-furthest position to the right of the Iinjector 50 will cause the leading edges of injector legs 52 to engage the bottom-most card in the bin 46 and slide it to the left in Figure 2 onto the table 38.

'Ihe injector 50 is provided with a central yoke 54 which dips down into' the slot 48 of bottom member 46 of bin 44. A pin 56 extends downwardly from injector yoke 54, and slides between the parallel, spaced legs of a. forked injector actuating arm 58 which is pivoted at 60 to the housing 10 in the manner best shown in Figure 2. f

The forked injector actuating arm S8 is actuated by means of a U-shaped injector actuator 62 which has a vertical yoke portion 64 that also slides between the spaced, parallel legs of the forked injector actuating arm 58. The actuator 62 is slideably mounted in suitable grooves in bottom and top walls l12 and 14, respectively, of housing 10, to slide substantially parallel to the table 38 and the card supply bin 44, actuator 62 being disposed relatively close to the rollers 26 and 30 and the belt 34.

The upper horizontal leg of the U-shaped injector actuator 62 is provided with a downward bend 66 at its end (the left end of actuator 62 in Figure 2), and the lower horizontal leg of the U-shaped actuator 62 is provided with a similar upward bend 68 which opposes the bend 66. These bent ends 66 and 68 of actuator 62 are adapted to be successively operatively engaged by a lug 70 mounted on belt 34 which extends downwardly in Figure 2 from belt 34 sufliciently to engage the bent ends 66 and 68 of actuator 62, but not sufficiently to interfere with any df the other operating mechanism of my device.

In the restv position of injector 50, injector actuating arm 58 and actuator 62, these members will all be at Patented Aug. 2, 1960 their furthest positions to the right in Figure 2. As the belt 34 moves anti-clockwise in Figure 1, movement of the lug 70 to the left will cause the lug 70 to operatively engage the upper bent end 66 of actuator 62 to move actuator 62, actuating arm 58 and hence injector 50 to the left, thereby peeling off the bottom card and depositing the bottom card on table 38 as the lug 70 travels to the left. However, when the lug '70 reaches a position directly above the center of drive roller 26, it will begin to move downwardly, and hence out of the engagement with the upper bent end 66 of actuator 62, whereby the actuator 62 and its operatively connected mechanism will cease to move to the left. travel around an arc corresponding to'the roller 26, and when it is directly below the roller 26 it will then be moving to the right, at which time it will operatively engage the lower bent end 68 of actuator 62 'to move actuator 62, actuating arm 58 and hence injector 50 back to the right to a position at which the actuator 62 is again released by the lug 70, and the injector 50 is ready to pick up another card for depositing it on the table 38.

The stencil 72 is disposed in a substantially horizontal position slightly above the table 38, and is mounted in a suitable stencil mounting bracket 7'4 which is attached to the removable front plate 36, and which is resilient to permit the stencil 72 to be mounted slightly above table 38 and then compressed down onto the card that is placed on table 38 after the card has been slid onto table 38 underneath the stencil 72.

I provide an ink pad 76 which is placed on bottom wall 12 directly underneath table 38, and which is positioned to supply ink to a roller 78 that is mounted on belt 34 in line with the table 38. As the belt 34 travels in its anti-clockwise direction in Figure 1, the roller 78 will move to the right across the top o'f the ink pad 76 as roller 78 travels below the table 38, whereby roller 78 picks up a supply of ink on its surface. As roller 78 is thus moving to the right across ink pad 76, the printed card is removed from table 38 by means of an ejector 80 that is likewise mo'unted on belt 34 in line with table 38, and the new card is being deposited on table 38 by means of the injector 50 as heretofore described. The roller 78 will then -follow an arcuate path as its portion of the belt 34 passes over the idler roller 30', and then roller 78 will travel along the to'p of stencil 72,to the left in Figure l, compressing the stencil 72 down onto the new card on table 38, thus providing the desired printing on the card. When the roller 78 has reached its position opposite drive roller 26 to the left in VFigure 1,

it will then follow an arcuate path downwardly, to again travel over the ink pad 76 as the printed card is removed by ejector 80 and as the new card is applied to the table 38 by injector 50.

I provide a suitable card depositing platform 82 to the left of the slot 40, and preferably outside of the end `cl'osure so that the printed cards may be merely picked up when the printing job is completed.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, I have there illustrated an alternative arrangement in which the printing is applied to the card on table'38 by means of a vertically movable printing plate or stencil Vand associated ink pad. This alternative device can be embodied in the apparatus shown in Figures l and 2, and heretofore described in detail, without any substantial alteration in the device. This is applied by providing a vertically slideable bracket 84 which slides in a suitable track 86 mo'unted on the end closure member 15, with suitable spring means 88 to normally hold` the bracket 84 in its uppermost position. The stencil pad, with its own ink supply, or printing plate 90 is mounted onthe bracket 84, so as to be vertically movable as the bracket 84 slides vertically in the track 86. i

A lug 92 extends to the right from vertically sliding bracket S4 in the drawings,'and is" engaged by the lug 70. as the lug 70 follows yits arcuate path around the The lug 70 will then' drive roller 26, whereby the lug 92, bracket 84, and hence the printing plate or stencil pad are moved downwardly against the compression of spring 88 to apply the printing to the card on table 38. As soon as the lug 70 leaves operative engagement with the lug 92 as the lug 70 continues along its arcuate path around drive roller 26, the spring 88 will move the bracket 84 and stencil pad or printing plate 90 back to its uppermost position out of the way.

It will be obvious that when a stencil pad that incorporates its own ink is utilized as the printing member 90, there is no need for a separate ink pad 76 and roller 78, so that in this event the ink pad 76 and roller 78 may be completely eliminated from the device.

However, if a printing plate is used as the printing element 99, then the ink pad aud roller 78 are required. However, the ink is applied in this instance by the roller 78 picking up the ink from pad 76 and then applying the ink to printing plate 90 when printing plate 90 is in its uppermost position as shown in Figure 3, and then when the roller 78 has moved out of the way of the printing plate 90, to the left of the plate 90, the plate 90 is moved downwardly to print the card. It will be apparent that with this arrangement, the roller 78 must bey in an entirely different position on the belt 34 than it is in the embodiment shown in 'Figures 1 and 2. The roller 78 will, in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, be positioned on belt 34 somewhere in the neighborhood of the lug 70.

lt will be apparent from the foregoing description of my present invention that my invention is simple in construction and easy to manufacture, whereby it can be supplied at relatively low cost, and can be easily operated, even by someone lacking experience in operating printing devices. My present invention is so simple in construction and so easy to operate that it is also a highly desirable item for use as a childrens toy.

If it is desired, multi-color printing may be accomplished with my present invention by embodying several successive stages of the type shown and described herein, each of the successive stages applying ink of a diierent color. Multicolor printing can also be provided with my single-stage device herein shown and described by utilizing one stencil or printing plate with ink of one color, and then by running the cards through again using ink of a different color together with a diierent stencil or printing plate.

-Although I have shown mechanical actuating means for moving the stencil pad or printing plate 90 in Figure 3, it will be apparent that magnetic means may be alternatively used, such as a conventional solenoid actuator.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is my preferred embodiment and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of my appended claims.

I claim:

1. A card printing device including a housing, a printing table in said housing, a belt movable about a pair of spaced rollers adjacent to said table, means for driving said belt, a source of supply cards to be printed, injector means operable to inject a card onto said table from said card supply source, a lug projecting from said bel-t and operatively engageable with said injector means during a portion of the travel of said belt to actuate said injector means to deliver a card to said table, and means for printing said card while said card is disposed on said table.

`2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which an ejector member projects from said belt and operatively engages the card on the table to remove the card from the table when the card has been printed.

3, The apparatus of claim 1 in which said belt driving means comprises an electric motor mounted in said housing and drivingly connected to one of said rollers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said printing means includes a printing device mounted above said table and means for periodically moving said printing device downwardly into printing engagement with the card on the table.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said means for periodically moving said printing device downwardly into engagement with the card on the table includes a vertically slidable mounting member to which said printing device is attached, said lug projecting from said belt being operatively engagable with said mounting member during a portion of the travel of said lug to move said mounting member and its attached printing device downwardly.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said means for periodically moving said printing device downwardly into printing engagement with the card on the table includes a vertically slideable mounting member to which said printing device is attached, said vertically slidable mounting member being operatively engaged by said lug projecting from said belt during a portion of the travel of said lug to move'said mounting member and its attached printing device downwardly.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said printing device comprises a stencil and ink supply.

8. The yapparatus of claim 4 in which said printing device is periodically provided with ink by means of a roller mounted on said belt and an ink pad against which said roller moves during a portion of the travel of said roller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which said printing device comprises a stencil member, said roller periodically rolling over the top Vof said stencil member to compress said stencil member down against the card on the table and to provide ink to the stencil member.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 in which said printing device comprises a printing plate periodically movable from a position above the card on the table into printing engagement with the card on the table, said roller providing ink to said plate when said plate is disposed in its noperative position spaced above the card on the table.

References Cited in the file of Athis. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,879,964 Whitlock Sept. 27, 1932 2,082,396 Hill June l, 1937 2,767,647 Hakogi Oct. 23, 1956 

